UNews - Canadian Centre

Understanding how the student brain works

trevor.kenney — Mon, 10 Mar 2014 20:39:52 +0000

“When we hear “brain-based research,” we tend to think primarily in terms of brain injuries or diseases such as stroke and alzheimer’s, but what is the connection between neuroscience and inclusive education?

As ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Faculty of Education’s Dr. Nancy Grigg explains, “The solid body of research that exists to support the use of various educational strategies is now being enhanced by neuroscience research, contributing unique and important knowledge of how best to enhance student learning."

Dan Vanden Dungen, a longtime educator in the Horizon School Division, is learning how neurological theory can make a huge difference in today's classrooms.

Dan Vanden Dungen (BA ’90, BEd ’92) will be among the first cohort of the Inclusive Education and Neuroscience MEd program to graduate in 2014. Initially, he struggled with how neurological theory would translate to the classroom. In retrospect, he says that knowing how the brain works matters because it allows educators to better identify changes that can be made.

“A key understanding from neuroscience is the building of neural pathways to enhance learning for all students in an inclusive environment,” says program instructor Sue Bengry. “In essence, it’s about understanding how the student’s brain works and tailoring the instruction to relate to that functionality.”

“It’s a less subjective way of working,” explains Vanden Dungen, “I believe it’s made me more empathetic, tolerant and resourceful.”

Working in the Horizon School Division for almost twenty years now, Vanden Dungen has worked with a broad spectrum of children, many from local and migratory Mennonite religious communities. More recently, his work as a classroom support teacher has also included students whose primary language is Low German, at the Horizon Mennonite Alternative Program.

“Inclusion is challenging,” he says. “It’s not the way most of us were taught to teach.”

With its cohort model, the structure of the MEd program has provided him with some unexpected connections.

“My cohorts have been an amazing support,” he says. “Being with the same group for three years has been essential to my success in the program. It’s also meant that I have a network of ‘inclusion professionals’ outside of my school and division.”

As we enter a new era of advancement in brain research, neuroscience is helping to inform learning specialists.

It’s becoming easier for researchers to access and interpret information originating in the brain.

“The basis for variations in learning, behaviour regulation and thinking are now being understood and described as ‘variations in brain processes,’” says Dr. Rob Sutherland of the U of L Department of Neuroscience in the Canadian Centre for Behavioural Neuroscience. Accordingly, he predicts that “future innovations in education will depend upon understanding and applying what neuroscience has discovered about the developing brain.”

A classroom support teacher can take this specialized knowledge and incorporate it into a customized plan of action that consciously shapes a student’s learning.

“It’s important to provide a solid rationale for your recommendations,” says Vanden Dungen. “To do this, we need to become critical consumers of scientific data and the neuroscience courses help lay that foundation.”

Alumnus Clark returns to CCBN in search of answers to brain's puzzle

trevor.kenney — Thu, 20 Jun 2013 17:41:02 +0000

Every time you turn your head one way or another, the nerve cells in your brain, called neurons, keep you oriented in space.

Scientists have clues about how this brain-based compass works. But the nuts and bolts of the system, and its possible role in the way memories form and fade, are still a puzzle that researchers such as Dr. Ben Clark (BSc '05), are trying to solve.

In particular, the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge postdoctoral researcher and Alberta Innovates -- Health Solutions postgraduate fellowship recipient is working to understand if and how the brain circuits that deal with directional information may also impact both memory formation and dementia.

Dauphin, Man.-born Clark began looking at the brain's direction-sensing systems as a graduate student in Jeffrey Taube's lab at Dartmouth College in New Hampshire.

Now back in Canada and working as a postdoctoral researcher in Dr. Bruce McNaughton's Lethbridge Brain Dynamics lab at the Canadian Centre for Behavioural Neuroscience (CCBN), Clark, who also holds an honours bachelor of science degree in neuroscience from the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge (2005), is interested in figuring out whether the same sorts of brain maps are also used to commit new information or situations to memory.

If so, he and others speculate that the breakdown of these maps could also contribute to memory-related conditions, such as dementia and Alzheimer's disease.

Dr. Ben Clark earned his undergraduate degree at the U of L in 2005.

The potential links between these two neural functions are complex, Clark explains, but the idea is that the memories rely, at least in part, on the brain's ability to determine direction.

In animals, spatial mapping seems to centre on sets of so-called 'head direction' neurons, brain cells that are electrically active when an animal's head is pointing in one direction but not another -- and 'grid cells,' which contribute to a broader brain-based map of the surrounding environment.

Together, this brain cell activity produces something of an internal compass for understanding our place in the world around us.

The neurons communicating these direction-dependent signals are spread throughout the brain's temporal lobes, which are found just behind each ear, Clark explains.

But past studies suggest that their signals come together in a part of that brain region known as the entorhinal cortex, which also deals with information the brain uses to recognize objects.

There are hints that the entorhinal cortex is among the first parts of the brain to show changes during Alzheimer's disease too, which is consistent with the notion that object recognition and spatial cues may be crucial to memory.

To explore these potential connections, Clark plans to follow the activity of grid cells and head direction neurons, those direction-sensitive brain cells, using a system that lets him physically see neurons' activation.

That's possible because when neurons fire they turn on specific genes. And with a bit of genetic engineering, researchers can couple the gene activation to the production of proteins that glows fluorescent green or red under certain wavelengths of light.

Working with esteemed researcher Dr. Bruce McNaughton, right, the team is searching for ways to combat symptoms of dementia and Alzheimer's disease.

For the current project, Clark and his collaborators will use two such genes as a means of tracking spatial mapping and head direction neurons in rats as they encounter new objects or spatial situations, for instance.

With slightly different experimental techniques in other experiments, they also plan to follow the neurons that stretch from the entorhinal cortex into other memory-related parts of the brain.

The researchers have done preliminary experiments to ensure that their fluorescent gene scheme will be able to measure neuron activity. Next, they're gearing up to use these tools to test normal rats as well as rat models of disease that show some of the symptoms associated with Alzheimer's disease.

Over the longer term, Clark explains, researchers intend to create functional maps of the these animal brains during disease, looking not only at the entorhinal cortex but also at other brain areas that are thought to contribute to dementia and Alzheimer's disease.

Story by Andrea Anderson, photos by Trudie Lee. Re-printed with permission from Alberta Innovates -- Health Solutions. This story appeared in the most recent issue of Health Solutions magazine.

South Venture winners await patent approval

trevor.kenney — Tue, 02 Apr 2013 22:29:42 +0000

Not every third-year neuroscience student at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge has a patent lawyer on speed dial – but Isaac Ward does.

As the CEO of Synbiologica, Inc., Ward and his team (chemistry and biochemistry masters students Mackenzie Coatham (BSc '12) and Harland Brandon, and first-year biochemistry student Erin Kelly) have developed a new method of detecting hormones, and are in the process of patenting their idea. Their proposed biomedical device technology is expected to bring next-generation hormone detection to the research, agriculture and medical markets.

Their idea and business plan recently landed them $10,000 as the first-place winners in the 2013 South Venture Business Plan Competition, and they are now looking to the next phase of the challenge – a trip to Edmonton in April to face off in the provincial arena, with even more money and networking opportunities on the table.

Pictured left to right are Mackenzie Coatham, Dr. HJ Wieden (team advisor), Erin Kelly, Harland Brandon and Isaac Ward.

While he has to be a bit cautious about revealing details because of the patent process (an expected six to eight-month timeline), Ward says their idea will significantly improve the way in which hormones are detected.

"Hormones, and hormone imbalances, play very important roles in understanding behaviour and mental health, pregnancy, as well as development and aging of all populations," says Ward. "We are pursuing new technology for the detection of hormones that provides rapid results that are 93 per cent more cost effective than traditional antibody technology."

The team's market analysis shows diverse applications and projections for growth, with a two to three-year timeline to produce a marketable device. The first test runs of this device will occur this summer at the Canadian Centre for Behavioural Neuroscience in collaboration with neuroscience researcher
Dr. Gerlinde Metz.

Ward says the team came up with the idea to develop the company and the new biomedical device by using the skills they learned through the iGEM (International Genetically Engineered Machine) program.

"The internationally competitive program allows undergraduate students to gain hands-on experience in science," says Ward. "iGEM is run out of a student-operated lab provided by the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry here at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge and co-ordinated by Dr. HJ Wieden. We have been encouraged at every turn by our professors and others to move this idea forward, especially by the people at Alberta Innovates Technology Futures (AITF) who promote entrepreneurial engagement from scientific innovation."

Ward says the group will not just run off into the biomedical business world once the ink is dry on their patent documents – they need to finish school first. "Education is one of the team's top values and we will be working on this business while we complete our degrees. This is a learning process that will, we hope, carry us far beyond the classroom, and we are very pleased to have received the South Venture prize, because otherwise it would not be possible for our company to pursue funding opportunities and further develop our project."

Ward cites advisors Dr. Gerlinde Metz (Department of Neuroscience), Dr. HJ Wieden (Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry), Dr. Roy Golsteyn (Department of Biological Sciences) and Michael Kelly (Erin Kelly's father and manager of Real Estate and Land Development, City of Lethbridge) as being particularly helpful as they refined their idea.

Searching for genetic connections

trevor.kenney — Thu, 29 Nov 2012 23:03:05 +0000

Dr. Olga Kovalchuk, a biological sciences researcher at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge, has received a significant award from the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation – Prairies/NWT Region Research Grant program to study how something as simple as sleep disruption could make cells vulnerable to cancer.

"The disruption of circadian rhythms (a sleep-wake cycle) due to shift work or exposure to light at night has recently been suggested as a breast carcinogen, as elevated rates of breast cancer have been reported in groups of shift workers in countries all over the world, including Canada," says Kovalchuk.

Dr. Olga Kovalchuk is one of the country's leading epigenetic researchers.

Circadian rhythms are the equivalent of a person's internal clock, and help govern such things as sleep patterns, alertness and other factors. Circadian rhythms are found in most living things, from bacteria to plants and animals.

They follow a set pattern that, if shifted around, cause a number of biological processes to change, and not always for the better – as any sleep-deprived new parent or shift worker adjusting to a new schedule can attest.

To tease out the minute changes in the genetic markers that make up the road map to solving this challenge, Kovalchuk will employ epigenetics – the study of how an individual gene can go wrong or not work properly over a person's lifetime.

"The precise mechanisms of breast cancer induced by circadian rhythm disruption are elusive," says Kovalchuk, a professor and Board of Governors' Research Chair, CIHR Chair in Gender and Health. "In recent years, the role of epigenetic changes as a cause of breast cancer has been increasingly recognized, so we are going to attack this challenge from that perspective."

Epigenetics is the study of how individual genes and components of individual genes can change in response to environmental conditions or other factors.

In addition to the hard-wired traits in DNA, epigenetic changes can occur in response to a change in lifestyle or other trigger, and can be passed from one generation to another.

With colleague and neuroscientist Dr. Robert Macdonald at the Canadian Centre for Behavioural Neuroscience, Kovalchuk and their respective lab teams will develop a model to test how changes in genetic structure are brought about by sleep or circadian disruption. They will also look at how those epigenetic changes affect cells, which in turn would make them a target for cancer.

The group will study mammary glands and look at the genetic switches that are turned on or off in response to the circadian pattern changes.

Kovalchuk will receive $125,000 per year for three years. Her award is part of a 19-project, $6.8 million announcement made in early November by the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation – Prairies/NWT Region. The CBCF supports research projects that demonstrate high degrees of innovation or novelty in breast cancer research.

Research dollars continue to flow

trevor.kenney — Tue, 13 Nov 2012 23:15:12 +0000

The business of research at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge keeps growing and, like any other business, needs people and resources to keep the wheels of innovation turning.
Recent rankings which place the U of L's research efforts at the top and near to the top of influential listings of Canadian research universities, show and tell the U of L's research achievements based on numbers.

But there are more than numbers to this success – there are people who, through very diverse projects, demonstrate the unique ways in which the U of L is, as described by the editors at Maclean's magazine, "…Alberta's rising research star."

Dr. Paul Hayes is part of a team of U of L researchers to receive significant funding from the Canada Foundation for Innovation.

Recent funding announcements by the Canada Foundation for Innovation and the Canada Research Chair program have brought to the U of L new or renewed funding in excess of $2.4 million. Many of the funding awards are eligible for matching funds, or can be used to lever additional resources which further advance the U of L's research agenda. As more research funding is confirmed, other U of L researchers will be profiled.

Dr. Andrew Iwaniuk

Dr. Andrew Iwaniuk, a researcher at the Canadian Centre for Behavioural Neuroscience who studies the development of avian brains, will use his Canada Foundation for Innovation funding to purchase a sophisticated slide scanner, microscope and related equipment which will allow his research team to create what are known as virtual slides. ($131,000)

From these virtual slides, he will be able to perform a myriad of measurements and analyses to better understand how the brain is organized and how brain damage arising from exposure to environmental toxins occurs in various bird species. In addition to these direct research uses, Iwaniuk has amassed the largest collection of bird brains in the world, which at present includes over 500 specimens representing more than 150 different species from North America, Australia, Africa, Australia and Europe.

One of his aims over the next several years will be to digitize this entire brain collection and make it available to researchers, educators and students worldwide. By creating a virtual museum within which anyone will be able to look at virtual slides and photos of entire brains, researchers from around the world can more readily collaborate and provide information to educators and the general public on how the brain has evolved among birds.

Dr. Louise Barrett

Dr. Louise Barrett studies the social processes and behaviour of people and primates. Her research will determine how social functioning can be improved by examining connections between social environment and the development of interpersonal skills. Barrett, a Canada Research Chair in Cognition, Evolution and Behaviour, is aiming to discover how the actions of others help shape our social worlds – and therefore our psychology. She's doing so by studying the social behaviour and cognition of both humans and our primate cousins in Canada and South Africa. ($1.4 million/seven years)

Primates are known for their intense sociability, which is thought to have shaped the ways in which we think about the world. Research in this field has usually considered that social information is processed solely inside the head. However, Barrett is emphasizing how physical or bodily engagement with the world – and with other individuals – can and should be recognized as part of our psychology. In that respect, cognitive processes can be considered as both visible and social, and not just invisible and private.
In addition, Barrett is studying how various types of 'social niches' help shape psychology from infancy to adulthood, and how language and culture influence generate differences between humans and primates.

By challenging long-held beliefs about the way primates think and socialize, Barrett's work is paving the way for new forms of psychology that could improve people's social experiences by increasing the understanding of the social skills they need in a complex society.

Dr. Stacey Wetmore

Dr. Stacey Wetmore, Canada Research Chair in Computational Chemistry was recently renewed as a Tier 2 Canada Research Chair ($500,000/five years).

Wetmore uses computers to explore the reactions between DNA and various harmful chemicals in order to understand how DNA gets damaged. And in order to clarify how nature affects repairs, she studies how enzymes in our body repair our DNA by chemically removing the damaged sections of DNA.

Computers help Wetmore examine molecules that are difficult or impossible to learn about using traditional experiments. For example, it is difficult to study some molecules experimentally because they live for such a short time; using computers, however, speeds up the process so she can investigate their properties thoroughly.

Computer simulations are the tool of choice that not only allow Wetmore to study molecules quickly and cheaply but also allow her to study chemically modified DNA pieces that have applications as drugs or tools for biotechnology.

Drs. Paul Hazendonk, Michael Gerken and Paul Hayes

The trio of chemistry researchers has received substantial funding from the Canada Foundation for Innovation ($400,000) to purchase a significantly more powerful NMR system, which will allow the researchers – who envision collaboration with researchers working on wide-ranging projects from the oil and gas, agriculture and pharmaceutical industries – to more accurately measure the structure of various solid and liquid compounds down to the atomic level of accuracy.

Their research – and the current NMR facility, which is also in the process of receiving a significant upgrade – is already attracting worldwide attention. With the addition of the new equipment, they expect to expand their programs, ability to work with graduate and undergraduate students, and enhance their relationships with a wide variety of collaborators. The facility is expected to take about a year to fully commission.

This story first appeared in the November 2012 issue of the Legend. To view the full issue in a flipbook format, follow this link.

CCBN renovation boosts safety, streamlines research

trevor.kenney — Mon, 13 Aug 2012 16:47:38 +0000

Research staff at the Canadian Centre for Behavioural Neuroscience (CCBN) is celebrating a small feat. For the first time in many years they have a central storage room for their chemicals.

Although it may seem like a minor milestone, the new storage room plays a fundamental role in keeping the facility safe and organized.

CCBN Research Manager Janice Sutherland sorts through the inventory in the new centralized chemical storage room.

Complete with a new computerized inventory system, the central storage also features specialized cabinets specifically built to contain flammable, poisonous, corrosive, acid or base materials. Previously, researchers would have their own stores of supplies but with no way to keep track of who had what, supplies would often run out or be well over excess.

"This is going to really help in our research," says CCBN research manager Janice Sutherland. "It will help save money because we won't be buying doubles and triples of things. We will know what we have. We'll be able to keep things in supply without running out."

Now that all the chemical supplies are inventoried and housed in one place, researchers will know exactly where a chemical is located and how much is available.

"Everything that comes in now has to be coded in, and everything going out has to be coded out in order for the system to really work properly.

"Hopefully it's going to bring our research to a new level of organization, which is, in my opinion, crucial for doing really good quality experiments," says Sutherland, adding proper storage of chemicals is vital for everyone's safety. "Proper storage for your corrosives, for your acids, for your bases, for your flammables is absolutely critical. It should never be done any other way."

Brain Awareness Week on campus

trevor.kenney — Tue, 13 Mar 2012 17:57:52 +0000

The research, technical and administrative group at the Canadian Centre for Behavioural Neuroscience (CCBN) is inviting the community to Brain Awareness Week, Mar. 12-18.

This popular, free event helps the public learn more about the brain and the various ways in which researchers at the U of L are working on brain-related illness, such as stroke, Parkinson's disease, Alzheimers, and much more. An open house at the CCBN, plus a talk by noted neuroscience researcher Dr. Bryan Kolb are the main agenda items for the week.

On Tuesday, Mar. 13, Kolb will present Environment, Brain Development and Health at 7 p.m. in the Yates Memorial Theatre. The event is free but seating is limited. Kolb will discuss the impact of the environment on brain development and how it relates to health.

On Saturday, Mar. 17, the CCBN, the only research facility of its kind in Canada, allows the public to step inside and learn about the world-renowned research and groundbreaking discoveries taking place right here in southern Alberta at its annual Open House. In addition, local organizations will be on hand with brain-related materials and information.

The Open House runs from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Taking brainwork to the classroom

trevor.kenney — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 18:48:53 +0000

With the launch of the Inclusive Education and Neuroscience MEd program in 2010, one of former Faculty of Education dean Jane O'Dea's long-awaited visions finally became a reality.

Dr. Bryan Kolb, a researcher in the Canadian Centre for Behavioural Neuroscience, says he remembers the genesis of the program well, recounting O'Dea's desire to expose teachers to the principles of brain development.

"Jane was eager to take the knowledge that we were generating and somehow apply it to classroom practice," says Kolb, who will be presenting as part of the Faculty of Education Lecture Series in early December.

Dr. Bryan Kolb is eager to share his research with today's educators.

Kolb's talk, Moving from Brainwork to the Classroom, is Monday, Dec. 5 at 4:30 p.m. in Andy's Place (AH100).

The three-year MEd program, the first of its kind in Western Canada, is intended for practicing teachers as well as administrative and leadership professionals. After learning about the latest in neuroscience research, practicing teachers will explore the direct application of this knowledge to the classroom.

"The whole premise of the program is to take the research done by the people in the CCBN and apply it to teaching practices in the classroom," says Sue Bengry, former director of Student Services, Lethbridge School District 51. "It's a school-based initiative."

"Teachers need to know about the principles of brain development in order to understand the impact these processes have on behaviours," says Kolb. "Whereas most of the body develops from a genetic blueprint, the brain develops in response to experiences. So you are your brain."

It's an added body of knowledge that teachers welcome.

"Teachers are eager to learn about the newest neuroscience findings and how they might influence our instructional practices and the design of classroom environments," says Dr. Nancy Grigg of the Faculty of Education. "In the past, we could only assume that kids with learning disabilities had neurological damage or dysfunction."

Having a foundation in brain-based learning allows educators to adapt their teaching methods to ensure the best results, essentially providing students with practical work-arounds to their learning challenges. Although this particular program is geared towards experienced teachers, Kolb says that in the future, it would be useful to have all education students taking neuropsychology courses.

Translating research into practice is, of course, a complex process.

"But when educators and neuroscientists begin to work together, the gap between neuroscience research and classroom practice starts to close," says Grigg.

New Mahon on campus

trevor.kenney — Fri, 26 Nov 2010 18:43:07 +0000

Once a week, a young Mike Mahon (pronounced Man) would catch the bus in his hometown of Winnipeg, Man., ride across the city and head to the swimming pool or gymnasium to work with people with intellectual disabilities.

The volunteer experience was part of a community-service expectation mandated by his high school, but Mahon wasn't there simply to earn credit. Having grown up in a household that valued community engagement, the idea of volunteerism was second nature, and he took to it innately.

"Growing up, that was just what I was exposed to, so the whole idea of volunteering just became a part of who we were as a family," says Mahon. "There was this fundamental belief that volunteering was an important part of living in a community."

New ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge President Dr. Mike Mahon.

Mahon had no idea at that time this early community service opportunity would have such an influence over his future career. It would shape his graduate studies, research and now, as the new president of the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge, it continues to resonate.

Born in Manitoba, Mahon grew up with four siblings in a house that teemed with activity. A self-described sports junkie, he played a little of everything and eventually was a two-sport (football and track) student-athlete at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Manitoba. After completing a bachelor's degree in physical education, he moved on to the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Alberta (MSc in Physical Education) and then the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (PhD in Education) for his graduate and doctoral studies respectively.

"When I started thinking about what I would do with my master's degree, I did look back to that first experience," says Mahon. "It had a tremendous amount of influence from a career perspective."

His research, which focuses on adapted physical activity with an emphasis on older individuals and persons with intellectual disabilities, has garnered a number of honours, including: Fellow of the Academy of Leisure Sciences (2001); Award of Distinction from the Canadian Centre on Disability Studies (2000); the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Manitoba Rh Award for Outstanding Contributions to Interdisciplinary Scholarship and Research (1995).

The Presidential couple, Mike and Maureen Mahon.

Mahon has since become a vigorous proponent of physical activity for people of every age and ability. Most recently, he has been working on several projects that bring a research focus to how sports and play can help children in developing countries. In that context he has been involved with Right to Play as well as Play Around the World, groups that supply sports equipment and programming support to children in developing countries.

He says the opportunity to conduct research with these organizations, as well as become involved on a volunteer basis, is particularly rewarding.

"The people I've known who have become volunteers have really, in the end, got more out of the experience themselves than they feel they've given," says Mahon.

His academic career has virtually mirrored the path he took as a student, beginning at Manitoba before transitioning to the U of A where he spent two terms as the dean of the Faculty of Physical Education and Recreation prior to his coming to the U of L.

His arrival in Lethbridge appears to be a case of right Mahon, right time. Family, community and developing an atmosphere for growth of the entire person are some of the ideals that Mahon brings to the U of L.

As the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ looks forward, Mahon sees its growth achieved through a learning environment that is dedicated to social responsibility and community engagement; that is dedicated to building a comprehensive university across the broad academy of disciplines; that is dedicated to creating a person-first university environment for staff and faculty; and that is centrally focused on a student-first attitude.

Mahon recognizes he has inherited a confident and forward-thinking institution, and he looks to build off that foundation as he introduces new initiatives. He says, for example, that as much as the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ and its students are already agents of influence in southern Alberta, there is opportunity to expand the impact the U of L has on society by formalizing its community outreach initiatives.

"Liberal education is about presenting students with an expansive opportunity of academic experience," he says. "I'd like to think that part of that experience could be about being in the community and taking that liberal education concept that much further."

Mahon looks to the example his parents, who were involved community members, provided as he grew up, and the opportunities he had to explore and understand community engagement. As part of his future plan for the U of L, Mahon proposes introducing a framework whereby students earn academic credit for volunteerism.

"I think this is a tremendous gift that we can give our students," he says. "Having volunteer experience within the context of education is, on one level, a way that institutions can connect with and give back to the community, but on another level, it's a wonderful way to help our students expand their horizons."

Kristi Legge's Dance Group Performers, ranging from Grade 6 to university students, were among the highlights at the Presidential Installation.

The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge, having prospered under the leadership of former President Dr. Bill Cade, is emerging from its history as a primarily undergraduate university into a comprehensive institution that fully embraces a research culture, and is rapidly expanding its graduate studies opportunities.

"What I see is the continued integration of teaching and research, both at the undergraduate and graduate level. The U of L has always had a unique approach to engaging undergraduates in research, and that's something we will continue to do," says Mahon. "As we move forward, we must use our experience and commitment to excellence in undergraduate education as a springboard for the development of and improved access to graduate-level programming."

The opportunities for expansion, he says, are numerous, with a track record of success already established.

"We have developed internationally recognized strengths in the areas of neuroscience, epigenetics and water research, and we've more recently moved into the study of demographics and population with the creation of the Prentice Institute," says Mahon. "Now we're searching for our next niche research areas that we can build capacity in, and how they will also integrate with our academic programs, both at the undergraduate and graduate levels."

The recent opening of Markin Hall, a building that houses the Faculties of Health Sciences and Management, provides a fertile ground for collaborative research efforts, and is a perfect example of the interdisciplinary focus at the U of L. Simply by putting talented minds together, it creates a conversation from which great synergies can emerge.

"Markin Hall is going to be very much like the Alberta Water and Environmental Science Building (AWESB)," he says. "When you bring people from different, yet related, disciplines together under the same roof, you start to see some interesting areas of research develop."

Mahon recognizes that the U of L can only move forward with a people-first, student-first approach. It begins by creating an atmosphere where a positive work/life balance is celebrated.

"I want to see us build an institution that is committed to people and to creating that balance for our people, and that means students, staff and faculty. If I'm not a role model on that front, it's hard to preach that this is a direction we should go," says Mahon, who is regularly spotted in the 1st Choice Savings Centre gym, beginning the day with a run on the treadmill or a workout in the weight room.

Having been on campus since July, Mahon has gained an understanding of what makes the U of L engine run – its people. He says the liberal arts ideals that founded the institution, coupled with a student-first learning environment, will continue to be central themes as the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ advances.

"Whether it is in academic programs and research, how we recruit and orient our students, our class sizes, our residences, recreation and sport opportunities, health services, or the environment of our campus, we must ensure that we bring to life this concept of student-first," he says.

Part of that is recognizing and celebrating how integral a place the U of L occupies in southern Alberta.

"I've learned that the U of L is a real treasure, and it's because of our people," says Mahon. "We have staff and faculty who are committed to the success of the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ and to the experiences of our graduate and undergraduate students. Combine that with where we are situated, our beautiful campus, small class sizes and world-class faculty – and this is truly a premier university."

This story originally appeared in the Fall 2010 issue of SAM. For a look at the full issue of SAM in a flipbook format, follow this link.

Calgary a key U of L market

trevor.kenney — Fri, 07 May 2010 18:08:17 +0000

The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge plays a unique and significant role in providing thousands of Calgarians access to a personal, high-quality, comprehensive educational experience. Additionally, faculty at the U of L conduct research that is both relevant to the Calgary economy and to the quality of life for Calgarians.

With that in mind, Calgary MLAs listened with great interest to a recent presentation made by U of L vice presidents Dr. Andrew Hakin and Nancy Walker.

Hakin highlighted the U of L's evolution as a comprehensive ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ, while also detailing the institution's emphasis on providing access to post-secondary education. The Calgary numbers are compelling.

In Fall 2009, the U of L was the choice of 2,680 Calgarians, which accounts for one-third of our total student body. The number of students at the Calgary campus hit an all-time high with 524 students enrolled. Last year, 278 students from SAIT, Mount Royal, the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Calgary and Bow Valley College transferred to the U of L.

Hakin detailed the U of L's strategic plan and how its key elements focus on a continuing commitment to all students.

Questions from members of the Calgary caucus suggested that many of them were already engaged in the issues of the post-secondary sector, while some comments showed a direct understanding of the U of L's strengths and advantages.

Justice Minister Alison Redford commended the U of L on the work it is doing in neuroscience, highlighting discoveries that are being made at the Canadian Centre for Behavioral Neuroscience and the influence they have on government policy.

MLA Manmeet Bhullar, a former Parliamentary Assistant for Advanced Education and Technology asked how changing demographics might affect enrolment at the U of L.

While the number of 18 to 24 year-olds living in southern Alberta will decrease over the next decade, Hakin sees the city of Calgary as a real opportunity of growth for the U of L.

Aboriginal Affairs Minister Len Webber was interested in the state of student housing on campus, learning that the U of L is working towards increasing the number of beds on campus and that success in creating more spaces will enhance the student experience.

The U of L recognizes Calgary as a key demographic and that building and maintaining links to the city are vital as the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ moves forward.

Richard Westlund is the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ's director of government relations

UNews - Canadian Centre

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